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In and around Prague Castle

These are the steps leading to the Prague Castle (but I took this picture when I was on the way down). The Castle stands high above the river Vltava and the buildings enclosed by the Castle walls include a palace, three churches and a monastery.

Gateway to Court of Honour of Prague Castle ... the gates are crowned by copies of the 18th Century statues of Fighting Giants by Ignaz Platzer. These were not merely decorative but acted as an integral element of support.

The Changing of the Guards takes palce in the first courtyard, every hour but at 12 noon it is the formal handover carried out with a fanfare and banner exchange.

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Motor show in the afternoon.

St. Vitus's Cathedral - front view and west side view of the cathedral with its main tower

and golden gate rose windows.

Tympanum of the cathedral ~ basically the semi-circular area enclosed by the arch above the lintel of an arched entranceway. The area is decorated with sculptures in the Romanesque and Gothic periods.

Stained glass window created in Art Nouveau of the cathedral allows natural light into the nave of the cathedral.

The Chancel ~ remarkable for the soaring height of its vault, is one of the highlights of the St. Vitus's Cathedral. The net vaulting is supported by large flying buttresses.

The large rose
window above the cathedral's main entrance was designed by František
Kysela. The stained glass window, completed in 1927, shows biblical
scenes.

Tomb of St. John Nepomuk. Crafted from solid silver in 1736, this elaborate tomb honours the saint who became the focus of a Counter-Reformation cult.

A replica of the crown jewels of St. Wenceslas in the St. Wenceslas chapel within St. Vitus's Cathedral.

An old Czech legend says that any usurper who places the crown on his
head is doomed to die within a year, as the Crown is in personal
property of St. Wenceslas and may only be worn by a rightful Bohemian
king during his coronation. During World War II, Reinhard Heydrich, the Deputy Protector of Bohemia and Moravia,
is said to have secretly "crowned" himself while inspecting St. Vitus'
Cathedral, and was assassinated less than a year later by the Czech resistance. Although there is no evidence proving that Heydrich did so, the legend is widely believed. (extracted from Wikipedia)

St. George's Basilica ~ the oldest church within the vicinity of the Prague Castle. The present rusty red Baroque facade was built in the 17th century. It is one of the most beautiful Romanesque monuments in the Czech Republic and a place of great importance as it served as the burial ground to the royal Premyslid family. Nowadays, the Basilica houses the 19th century Bohemian Art Collection of the National Gallery in Prague and also hosts frequent Prague classical music concerts.

The Basilica's ceiling of deep, dark wood.

The impressive Baroque grille and the curving steps that lead up to the choir.

Outside Prague Castle

Quaint roof tops of the Little Quarter viewed on the way down from Prague Castle.

The scientific name for Peach resin is Prunus Persica which is resin secreted from the Peach tree and form like crystals which are stuck to the tree. Originated from China, the composition of peach resin is collagen, amino acids. The rich collagen helps to improve the complexion, nourishes and helps to prevent dryness of the skin. It also helps to improve bowel movement. In short, this is an inexpensive substitute to the highly expensive birds nest.

Peach Resin Snow Fungus Dessert ~ 桃胶雪耳糖水

Ingredients 50 gm Peach resin20 gm snow fungus30 gm dried longan30 gm seedless red dates2 lt water100 gm rock sugar(I used 150 gm organic cane sugar) or to taste6 Pandan leaves, knottedMethod Soak the peach resin in a lot of water for 12 hours or preferably overnight. The peach resin will expand to about 8 to 10 times after soaking. Remove the impurities and rinse the jelly like peach resin, let drain on a sieve, set aside.Soak the snow fungus for a few hours and remove the hard stem, snip i…

This is a super comforting home-cooked dish which requires only a few ingredients. An easy to go recipe, I added minced pork to give the dish more volume. Kids as well as adults will love the silken smooth egg interspersed with bits of juicy meat. Great to serve over hot rice!

Steamed egg with minced pork ~ 猪肉蒸水蛋Ingredients

150 gm minced pork2 chicken eggs - 100 ml without shell150 ml boiled, cooled water (Ratio is 1:1.5)1/4 tsp saltsesame oil, pepperlight soya sauce to tasteMethod Season the minced pork with some salt.Whisk the eggs with water, strain it onto a plate.Mix in the seasoned minced pork. Remove any air bubbles.When the water in the steamer is boiling, place the plate of eggs onto the steamer plate, close lid and turn the heat to the lowest.Steam for about 14 to 15 mins., check after 5 mins. Jiggle the plate, if centre is wobbly, it's done.Remove from steamer, garnish with some spring onions, light soya sauce, sesame oil and a dash of pepper.